Dear Emperor
by darkenMe
Summary: Aoshi is the coldhearted emperor of some country...probably Japan. And Misao is one of his many concubines. He takes a liking to her out of all his other concubines, but neither of them want anyone to know of their growing affection. So to hide their rela
1. Chapter 1

All my life I've been worthless, a ghost among humans. I came from a poor family. So poor, in fact, they had to sell me. My own family sold me to the Emperor. After five years I've gotten used to it, but the life of a concubine is not a good one. There are at least one hundred of us, all fighting for the Emperors attention, in hopes that he will take one of us for his wife. Back-stabbing traitors the lot of them are. You can't trust anyone. It's either look out for number one or get pushed to the side.

The Emperor, Aoshi Shinomori, is a cold-hearted man, from what I hear; you see, I've never actually met him. And neither have more than half the other concubines in his palace. I take it he's not very friendly. He is now twenty seven, ten years older than me, but he was only fifteen when he took the throne. I think that is why he is so cold, because he was forced to skip his teenage years and jump right into adulthood. I feel sorry for the man really. Around the palace he has earned a nickname, iceberg. Like I said, I've never actually met the man, but judging from his nickname, I'm not sure that I want to.

XxxX

I could hear Kaoru-chan calling out to me.

_What does she want now?_

I ran down the hallway, towards the sound of her voice. But she wasn't in our room. So I went out to the garden, and sure enough, she was sitting there by the edge of the pond, swirling the crystal clear water with her slender fingers. The gold fish trailed behind her hand like lost puppies. Even though her face was shadowed, I could tell she was frowning. After five years of living with each other, we could normally sense how the other was feeling. And right then, I could sense that she was melancholy. Probably because of Himura-san again.

I had told her numerous times; she just had to make a move on him herself.

_Himura-san is far too modest to make the first move._ _He's a strange man, Himura. He is the Emperor's Shogun, leader of Japan's military forces, best swordsman in all of Japan, and yet he is one of the girliest men I've ever met. But Kaoru would kill me if she ever heard me say that._

There was no doubt in my mind; it was Himura who was causing all the mess. And there Kaoru was, crying over her girlie-man.

_I just don't understand her sometimes._

She cried her heart out to me, just like every other time. And I calmed her down and told her to tell him how she felt, just like every other time.

_They really are hopeless, both of them!_

I sighed heavily as I made my way back to the training hall, where I had been watching the soldiers practice. I'm really not allowed to, but the Royal Kendo Teacher, Hiko-sensei had taken a liking to me back when I first came to the palace, so he let me observe as long as I stayed quiet.

I slid open the shoji doors and slipped inside. I quietly sat down and prepared to watch, but the soldiers were no longer training. It was two men fighting, one on one with what seemed to be double kodachis. And they were _really_ good. One of the men was Himura; I could tell because of his flaming red hair. But I didn't know who the other was. I watched them, entranced, and I could feel the energy emanating from their bodies. They both moved in such graceful, fluid movements. I couldn't pull my eyes away.

As I continued to watch the two, I noticed that the stranger had an obvious advantage.

_Himura-san's expertise is not double kodachis, but apparently the other man's is_.

I was so concentrated on following their moves, I didn't notice them inching closer and closer to me. And by the time I did notice, it was too late. Himura-san's figure loomed above me, and then he fell. The stranger reached out, but he wasn't fast enough. I wasn't fast enough. Himura fell right on top of me. I screamed, purely on reflex and braced myself.

_Himura-san is much heavier than he looks!_

Himura apologized profusely and clumsily stood up, with the stranger's help. I sat there dusting myself off, and when I looked up the stranger's hand was there, right in my face, waiting for me to take it. So I did. I gladly grabbed the hand and pulled myself up.

As I stood up and tried to catch my breath Himura came running over. He placed his hands on my shoulders and again apologized.

"I'm so sorry! Are you alright, Misao-dono? I didn't see you there."

He apologized so many times it was getting on my nerves. I grabbed his shoulders and firmly shook him. I looked him straight in the eyes and said loudly and slowly,

"I…am…fine…Himura! You don't have to make such a fuss!"

"Oro!"

I merely shook my head.

_Himura is such a worry-wart._

I was still shaking my head when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I was yanked around and the next thing I knew, I was facing the stranger who had been sparring with Himura. Now that I was closer to him, I could tell that he was extremely good-looking.

_Boy is he hot!_

I was gazing up into the stranger's gorgeous indigo eyes, when he uttered five words that I knew were trouble for me.

"What are you doing here?"

I just kept on staring up at him. I didn't really know what to say.

Thankfully, Hiko-sensei came to my rescue.

"I can vouch for her sire."

_I love you Hiko!_

"She comes in here a lot, just to observe. She's quite interested in the martial arts. Please don't punish her, I was the one who allowed her to stay."

The stranger looked hesitant, but he nodded his consent and I raced off, out the door without a second thought.

I ran and ran, not looking back once. Not until I got to my room did I stop to breathe. That really was a close call. If I had gotten in trouble for being in the men's training hall I don't know what I would have done. I'd have nowhere else to go.

I leaned back against my closed door and sighed in relief. My eyes were closed as I took a moment to catch my breath for the second time in the last ten minutes. And when I opened my eyes, I saw Kaoru sitting quietly by the window, looking at me questioningly. I sighed once again and sat down, ready to retell the entire affair to Kaoru.

I aimlessly walked through the empty hallways of the palace, not really caring where I ended up. Before long, I found myself standing outside the doors of the training hall. I stared at them blankly, unsure of whether or not I should enter. Then, I heard a sound. Harsh breathing and the sound of feet pounding against the tatami mats filtered through the closed shoji doors. Sliding them open just a crack, I peered inside. My eyes widened as I saw the stranger from the day before. He was going through some sort of kata and seemed to be deep in concentration. He did a swift kick, but stopped suddenly and slowly brought his foot down. Without even turning around he called out,

"Hello again. I must tell you, I'm not fond of audiences."

I stumbled back, surprised. Sighing, I slid open the door all the way and stepped into the dojo.

"I figured you were talented from what I saw yesterday," I said as I walked toward the stranger, "but that was just amazing."

The man didn't reply. He did, however, turn around and stare at me, which really got me feeling uncomfortable. I stood there in front of him, awkwardly digging my foot into the ground. Without taking my eyes from the suddenly fascinating floor, I tried to break the ice.

"So…"

"What's your name?" the stranger interrupted me.

"What…um…my name's Misao."

The stranger nodded.

"And you?" I asked.

"Aoshi." He replied dully.

"Hmm…something about that name rings a bell…"

Aoshi folded his arms across his broad chest.

"I would hope so." He stared down at me.

And then it hit me.

"Omigod, you're the emperor!"

He merely rolled his deep blue eyes.

"But you're so young!" I pointed at him, shocked.

He sighed, I'm guessing, out of either frustration or exhaustion, or maybe both.

A small 'Aa' was all that he said.

It was then that I remembered my manners. I quickly fell to my knees and bowed repeatedly, my head hitting the tatami mats over and over until I began to feel dizzy. Before I could seriously injure myself, Aoshi caught my head in his hand, which I found to be rather rough and callused, and pushed me back up into a normal sitting position. He gently brushed the red spot that had formed in the center of my forehead with the back of his fingers. The gesture surprised me, and I pulled back, uncomfortable with the contact. I was afraid that what I had done was considered rude and that I had offended the Emperor, but when I looked him in the eyes his emotionless expression had not changed.

"Get up." He suddenly said to me.

I did as I was told and stood up as gracefully as I could, not wanting to embarrass myself in front of the Emperor.

"You like Kenpo don't you?"


	2. Chapter 2

I have this idea:

it's called "A Jumbled Fantasy" and it's all the classic disney films rolled into one Inuyasha and Rurouni Kenshin crossover. there would be lots couples. Aoshi and Misao (of course): Beauty and the Beast, Inuyasha and Kagome: i was thinking Sleeping Beauty, Sano and Megumi: Aladin, Miroku and Sango: The Little Mermaid, Sesshy and Rin: Cinderella,

...so if you want me to rite it than tell me...kay?

-Chapter 2-

Aoshi spent the whole day teaching me the basics of Kenpo, how to punch, kick, flip. He was a good teacher and before I knew it, I had gotten the hang of things. I could already do several katas from memory, granted my movements weren't nearly as quick as Aoshi's, but I wasn't expecting to pick it up _that_ fast.

Every time someone knocked on the door or called out looking for Aoshi he would answer saying that he was "busy". He didn't let another soul inside that training room while we were in there. It made me feel somewhat special, that the Emperor himself would rather spend the whole day teaching a lowly concubine like myself how to fight, something I didn't even need to know, rather than spending his precious time with learned scholars or more beautiful concubines who could actually give him some sort of pleasure.

It was late in the evening, and I could feel my body was tired; the Kenpo was taking a toll on me. I wasn't used to the physical strain. Aoshi watched me intently as I went through on more kata, but as I landed a flip my feet got tangled and I tripped over myself. I waited with my eyes shut tight for the thud of my body hitting the floor, but instead I felt something softer.

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself face to face with the Emperor. His dark blue eyes were wide with shock, as were mine. We both stared at each other, unable to move. His hot breath smelled of green tea as he exhaled heavily. There was merely a hair's width between us and the closeness was sending chills down my spine.

_He's so close…I can feel his heart…it's so fast! It can't be because of me?_

I stopped my thoughts before my hopes got to high and gathered up my courage to brake the growing silence,

"Gomen-nasai! Please forgive me your majesty!"

"Aa…" was all he said.

I sat up carefully and decided I should bow. Unfortunately, Aoshi thought I was getting up completely, not just sitting up so that I could bow. As you could imagine, we ran right into each other. Our foreheads met, which was painful, but so did our lips, which swiftly made me forget all other pain along with the rest of the world.

Sadly, before I could really take in the moment, my conscience stepped in and I quickly pulled back, breaking the accidental kiss. My hand flew to my mouth and I covered it, embarrassed.

"Gomen…" I whispered breathlessly.

_I just kissed the Emperor! I just kissed the Emperor! Oh Kami-sama, I just kissed the _**Emperor!**

Before he could answer, I fled. I ran as fast I could, down the hallways, back to the safety of the bedroom I shared with Kaoru. She would know what to do. She had had plenty of experience with boys…well Himura at least.

I burst through the shoji doors, nearly breaking them in the process. Kaoru stared at me wide eyed from her place on the floor. The ivory comb in her hand dropped and so did her jaw. I must have looked dreadful with sweat glazing my entire body and my hair falling out of its long braid.

Deciding I didn't care how filthy I was, I fell face first into my soft futon. I vaguely heard Kaoru stand up and walk over to me. And I felt her poke me hard in the ribs.

"Ow!" I yelled, sitting up swiftly.

I stared at her bewildered.

"What are you wearing?!" She asked loudly.

"What?"

She poked me again.

"Why are you dressed like Kenshin?"

_She's actually worried about how I'm dressed?!_

Looking down at myself, I realized that in my hasty retreat I had forgotten to grab my kimono. Aoshi had said that I couldn't possibly do Kenpo in a kimono, so I had changed into the smallest men's training clothes I could find (probably Himura's now that I thought of it).

I sighed heavily and recounted the whole story back to Kaoru.

"So?" I asked.

She looked at me confused and slightly dazed.

"So what?" She asked back.

I rolled my eyes.

"So…what do I do about the Emperor?"

Her confusion only seemed to grow immensely.

"Why do you need to do something?"

"I kissed him for Kami-sama's sake!"

Suddenly, Kaoru reached out and took my face in between her slender hands. Her dark blue eyes stared at me, surprisingly, with amusement.

"Misao-chan, you're his concubine," she said, while laughing, "You're supposed to kiss him!"

Angrily, I swatted my friend's hands away from my face and glared down at her as she continued to roll around on the floor giggling like a drunken hyena. Before I could stop it, a smile broke out onto my face. I fell to the floor, laughing till my sides hurt, and that's how I fell asleep.

Kaoru and I woke up the next morning to the sound of…horse hooves? I cautiously slid open the shoji from my position on the floor (too lazy to get up), peeked outside, and nearly had my nose stomped flat by a pair of tiny geta. Promptly shutting the door, I turned back to Kaoru who looked at me questioningly.

"No horses," I shook my head, "Just a stampede of giddy concubines in geta sandals."

"I wonder what the occasion is." Kaoru thought out loud.

"Yeah…" I agreed.

"_The Emperor is coming to visit the women's quarters!"_ an anonymous voice answered our question from somewhere outside our door.

_WHAT?!_

"Aoshi-sama…" I whispered, breathlessly.

My eyes went to Kaoru, who was already rummaging through our drawers in search of something fancy for me to wear.

Aoshi stood perfectly still in the middle of the women's courtyard surrounded by an enormous mass of giggling girls. From the very back of the crowd, I couldn't tell if his expression was angry or scared, but knowing Aoshi, it was probably neither, just an icy mask.

Himura, who had come along, I assumed, as crowd control, was keeping the girls at least three yards away from his Majesty. How he managed to do that much amazed me to no end. I was genuinely afraid for his life when I saw some of the death glares he was receiving from the crazed concubines. Poor Kaoru next to me was going to bite her nails right off her fingertips she was so nervous. I watched, alarmed as Himura pulled out his sword. However, the concubines seemed unfazed.

"We need backup your Highness." He called out to Aoshi.

"Aa. Sanosuke-san should do it."

"Hai," Himura agreed, "Sano."

Suddenly, I heard screams to my left, and the crowd of girls dispersed as a tall, muscular man with hair that reminded me, vaguely, of a rooster stepped into the sunlight and bowed.

"You rang." He said, sarcastically.

The rooster-head smiled and the concubines swooned---one girl fainted.

Himura shook his head disapprovingly.

"Sano, you're not helping."

"Oi! If any one of you broads step any closer to his Majesty, you're dead!"

The girls immediately fell back several feet.

"Sano, a _little_ nicer?" Himura chided.

"Hey, Kami-sama only made my looks perfect. Cut me some slack here."

Both Kenshin and Aoshi rolled their eyes.

"So what are we here for?" Sano asked.

"I'm looking for someone." Aoshi answered.

"Wanna be more specific?"

Aoshi glared.

"Your highness." Sano added hastily.

All of a sudden, I felt someone pushing me. I looked back and realized it was Kaoru. She wove her way through the crowd until we were almost at the very front of the mob. With one final shove I found myself looking up at the Emperor.

"Aoshi-sama." I breathed.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm addicted to reviews! Give me more! And then maybe I'll be inspired to rite faster...

Thank you all you lovely people who have been reading my insignificant very first fanfic. I know it's not all that good so thanks for all your support

-Chapter 3-

"Aoshi-sama." I breathed.

He said nothing, only stared at me with those calm, azure eyes.

I heard angry voices behind me, _"How dare she address the Emperor by his first name!", "Who does this little slut think she is?!", "Where'd she come from?!"_.

I felt glaring eyes on my back.

Then, suddenly, I was yanked around by the rooster-head.

"Oi, wench, didn't you hear me?" He asked loudly.

However, Aoshi placed his hand on the man's shoulder and stiffly shook his head.

"She is the one." He explained.

Sanosuke looked confused.

"She's the girl you were looking for?"

"Aa"

"Alright then the rest of you whores scram!" Sano yelled into the crowd of girls.

"ORO!" Kenshin nearly passed out, "Sano, must you use that language?!"

"What?" He asked innocently as he picked at his ear.

Kenshin sighed.

"I'm terribly sorry about my friend," he nervously said, "Please return to your rooms"… "Thank you for your time"… "Have a nice day"…

Sano rolled his eyes.

"Suck up."

Aoshi surprised me when he took me to the training hall and handed me a small silk package. I opened it carefully and found it to be a kimono. It was the most beautiful purple color I had ever seen, and it was so smooth I couldn't help but run my fingers over the slippery material again and again. I looked up at him amazed.

"Thank you." I said.

"Aa."

He turned away from me, but not before I had noticed the small blush on his handsome face.

"It's much lovelier than the one I left here before." I spoke to his back.

"Aa."

Slowly, I walked over to where he was standing, still as a statue. I watched him silently, waiting to see if he would say something first for once…He didn't.

As quick as I possibly could, I tried to karate chop his neck. Maybe it would have worked better if I had come at him from behind, and not from the front, but either way he still caught me so easily I was slightly ashamed. But I laughed at the humor in the situation.

"Just making sure you were still alive." I explained, smiling up at the Emperor.

Aoshi creased his eyebrows in confusion, but I only continued to smile.

Then I saw it; the tiniest of smiles graced his lips and I nearly fainted.

_If it's possible, he's even more handsome when he smiles._

He sat down into the lotus position. I sat down with my knees tucked under me. And for a while we just sat there in companionable silence.

"Most people don't try to randomly attack me." He suddenly spoke.

"Oh! Gomen nasai! I never meant to hurt you." I nearly shouted.

The thought that he might be upset with me scared me to no end. Without thinking, I reached out and placed my hand gently against his long neck. My fingers ran across his Adam's apple, up his chin, along his jaw; my curiosity outweighing my sense of propriety. It no longer mattered that I wasn't allowed to touch the Emperor so intimately without his consent. I'd never felt so strongly about one person before, and it both frightened and excited me. I wanted to know every line, every curve of his chiseled face.

As my fingers reached his lips, he stopped me by grabbing my hand. Thinking I'd offended him, I tried to pull my hand away in order to bow. But he wasn't letting go. Instead, he pulled me closer and kissed me ever so softly.

"Don't be sorry. I like you the way you are." Aoshi whispered into my ear.

I could feel ninety percent of my blood rush to my face. And I was sure the other ten percent was struggling to get enough oxygen to my racing mind.

Aoshi leaned in to kiss me again, but before he could, we heard a floorboard creak and we broke apart, startled. Both of us looked in the direction of the sound. I managed to catch a fleeting glance of a young girl who had been spying on us. I recognized her to be my neighbor of two doors down. She was a pretty girl who loved to gossip above all else, which meant that by the end of the day the entire women's quarters would know about my little meeting with his Highness.

"I have to go." I said quickly.

"Wait," Aoshi pulled a small black box from the inside of his robe, "Take this and I will be in touch."

He placed the box into my hands and folded my fingers securely around it.

"Arigatou gozaimasu."

I bowed low. However, Aoshi didn't let me bow. He pulled me up onto my feet and kissed me on the cheek.

"Now go." He said as he released me.

I did as he told me to and left.

A million thoughts ran through my head as I ran back to my room.

_This time, the Emperor kissed _**me**_! And he gave me gifts! But someone saw us…_

Once I got back to my room, I spent the rest of the day retelling my second meeting with the Emperor to Kaoru, who was positively bursting with excitement. But as the day came to an end, and I lay quietly in my futon, I wondered, anxiously, what tomorrow would bring. Rumors spread like wildfire in a building full of conniving concubines bored and upset from lack of attention from the opposite sex. It really was pathetic when you thought about it, but it did mean that I might be in a lot of trouble with some really jealous bitches.

Rays of sunlight filtered in through the oiled rice paper window, falling annoyingly right into my eyes. Not being able to sleep any longer with the light shining onto my face, I got up and prepared for another day.

I ate my breakfast quietly inside my room and left the tray outside my door when I was through. Kaoru had decided that she wanted to go see Himura, so that's where we went after we finished our breakfast. He was waiting on a small stone bench in the vegetable garden, feeding some birds contentedly. When he spotted us walking towards him, he immediately stood up and took Kaoru's hand. She blushed but we continued walking through the gardens.

As we strolled, we talked about Aoshi, omitting the more intimate details of my meetings with him because of the presence of a certain Shogun. Somehow, we ended up on the topic of marriage; what the appropriate age was, how much dowry the bride's family should receive, what one should look for in a spouse. And I found out from Himura that Aoshi was in danger of losing the throne. If he did not get married within a few months he would forfeit the throne to some distant cousin of his from Kyoto.

Just thinking of someone trying to steal the throne away from his Highness made my blood boil. It just wasn't right.

So engrossed was I in this upsetting new topic, I didn't notice a group of young concubines giving me death glares as they walked closer and closer. When they finally passed me, one of them, a tall, pretty girl with dark brown hair bumped into me harder than what could have been accidental. Even though I tried to hold it in, a small hiss of pain escaped my lips. I didn't want to turn around and start a fight, but the girl didn't wait for me to look at her.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry." She said as she walked back to me.

Pretending to see if I had been hurt, she pulled me closer to her, squeezing my arm until it hurt, in the process. She leaned in and whispered angrily into my ear,

"Stay away from him or else."

When she pulled away and let go, she was all smiles, as if she hadn't just threatened me.

Throughout the course of the day, I had hot tea spilt on my kimono, my foot stepped on three times, a shoji door closed on my hand, and my braid stepped on every time I sat down, all by "accident".

The only thing that kept me going was knowing I would see Aoshi later on in the evening at the banquet he was holding.

As I entered the banquet hall, another girl "accidentally" ran into me and happened to whisper "He's mine" so that only I would hear. It really was getting tiresome.

Kaoru and I scoured the hall in search of any free seats. We were walking past a large table with especially finely dressed men and women, obviously of higher rank than ourselves, when the woman sitting at the head of that particular table called out to me.

"You there." She said.

I turned around and looked at her questioningly.

"Yes, you with the braid." She pointed at me.

"Yes?" I asked.

She waved me over.

"Come sit with me." The woman shoed away the man who was sitting next to her and gestured for me to sit.

I looked at Kaoru uncertainly. She nodded and whispered that she would sit with Kenshin. So, I took the seat that was offered me. The woman who had summoned me was beautiful. No, that would be an understatement; she was ravishing! With her knee length ebony hair, dark blue, slanted eyes, and skin as pail as porcelain she could have been Amaterasu herself, for surely she was a goddess. I have to admit I was more than a little intimidated just being in her presence.

When she smiled, this demure yet…mischievous smile, I couldn't help but picture a vixen; a sly and cunning animal, always having ulterior motives. Of course, those thoughts only made my uncertainty grow, so I quickly dispelled them from my mind.

I smiled back, as genuinely as I could, and sat down. As soon as I sat down, I swiftly pulled my long braid over my shoulder so that it lay safely in my lap, instead of behind me for any conniving concubine to stomp on. And to my great surprise, and slight irritation, the beautiful woman laughed. It made me even angrier that even her laugh was more beautiful than any part of my body or personality. But, as any well-mannered young lady was expected to do, I sat quietly and waited for her explanation.

"You needn't do that. No one would dare step on your precious hair in my presence." She said between giggles.

I looked at her confused.

"You don't know who I am?" She looked a bit insulted.

I merely shook my head.

"I'm the Emperor's older sister, Takani Megumi."

My eyes grew wide with shock, which had her in another fit of laughter, and I immediately bowed. As I sat up, I saw Aoshi enter the hall. Everyone in the room bowed respectfully until the emperor waved his hand, which signaled them to resume what they were doing.

He made his way slowly, to the largest table in the room, the one most lavishly set, of course. However, as he passed our table, Megumi called out to him,

"Otouto-san! Come, I believe I have a friend of yours here with me."

Aoshi calmly strode over to our table and sat down in the seat right across from me, where another young man had been sent off.

"Konbanwa, Anee-san." He said in his gorgeous, deep voice.

The Princess nodded elegantly.

"Good evening…Misao."


	4. Chapter 4

Omigosh! I'm sooo sorry this chapter is so insanely late. I've been unbelievably busy and I had some trouble writing this chapter. At first I thought this story would be set some time before the meiji period, but now I find it easier to just say it's the meiji era. And the castle I'm imagining looks like the one from Mulan or Fuushigi Yugi...you know with the BIG staircases. Well I hope you enjoy this.

Chapter 4:

For a split second, I saw Aoshi's eyes widen at his slip of the tongue, and then I heard him recover with a small "san". Unfortunately, Megumi didn't miss that pause in between my name and the honorific. I saw her smile that same foxy smile, but as soon as it appeared, it was gone. Then, I followed her gaze as it wandered around the banquet hall. Table to table, there were more and more girls who were almost visibly green with envy. I honestly felt like just running away and hiding deep in a cave. Embarrassed, I turned my head away from the crowd, but my eyes fell back to Aoshi, who I found was quietly staring at me. He smiled, small enough so that only I would notice, and all my fear simply melted away.

I strolled quietly through the richly colored hallways of the Royal Palace. A pair of larks sang harmoniously as they fluttered about each other. The soft rays of the midmorning sun filtered in through the golden lattice windows, bouncing off various pieces of jewelry, reflecting onto the surrounding walls in myriad drops of gold. I stopped, suddenly, as I came upon a particularly interesting sentence in the letter I was reading.

My eyebrows furrowed and my eyelids closed tight as I tried to hold back the tears that threatened to smear the precious piece of parchment in my hands. It read:

"_Dearest Misao,_

_Last night, I could not help but notice the…looks you received from a number of other women throughout the duration of the dinner. You smiled, but I did not see any light or true happiness in your eyes. You are not built for sadness, and…forgive me. You see, for one such as myself it is…difficult to express such emotions so freely. However, I must tell you that I am…sorry. I am so sorry for pulling you into a life you were not meant to have. You should never have had to deal with the harshness of palace life. It…hurt me to see you treated like that, and yet, I cannot bring myself to simply send you away from all this. With one word, I could ban you from the palace and keep you away from all the lies and deceit, but I can't do it! Because…I like you…more than I'm willing to admit, but you must know that there are those who would do you harm if they knew of our relationship. Enemies who would use you in order to get to me. People far worse than any pathetic concubine. And I would sooner die than place you in harm's way. So, I have sent you this letter in hopes of keeping our…contact a secret. Please write back soon._

_Yours,_

_Aoshi_

_PS Give your letter to Kenshin."_

I re-read the letter more times than I could count, smiling every time I came across the words "_I like you_". And after reading it for my umpteenth time, I couldn't stop smiling at all. As I continued to walk down the hallways, not really paying any attention to where I was going, I ran into something, or rather, _someone_.

Startled, I looked up from my letter and found myself face to face with a boy.

_He's so cute…_

Of course, he was no match for Aoshi's more manly good looks, but I had to admit he was adorable in a "puppy dog" sort of way. He was rather short for a boy, but he couldn't have been any younger than myself. His hair was short and black, and his eyes were a shade of blue surprisingly similar to my own.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry about that," said the strange boy.

I stared at him dazedly; my mind was still dwelling on the letter. Smiling weakly, I returned his apology.

"It was entirely my fault," he continued, "I was just so focused on finding him. I should have been watching where I was going."

What he said caught my attention. I cocked my head to the side questioningly.

"Who is it you're looking for?"

"Oh…just Okina, the Royal Advisor…but you probably wouldn't know where I could find him."

"Okina," I asked, as my face lit up, "Of course I know where Okina is."

"You do?"

"Hai, I'll even take you to him."

The boy thanked me graciously with a dazzling smile.

"By the way," I began as we turned a corner, "My name is Makimachi Misao. What's yours?"

The boy smiled again and said,

"I'm Seta Soujirou---The soon to be king."

I stopped abruptly and asked,

"What…?"

Whipping around to face him, I stared at Soujirou with obvious disdain and growled,

"What makes you suggest such a ridiculous thing?"

"Oh? You haven't heard? Aoshi-san will be dethroned in a month."

I continued to stare at him in horror for about five more seconds before I stormed off, not paying any attention at all to Soujirou's calls.

Furiously, I stomped all the way to Okina's office. Sliding open the doors in a flourish, I continued to stomp up to his desk where the old man sat calmly reading some important document or other. I slammed my hands down onto the wood and cried,

"Is it true?"

"Is what true my dear," asked Okina.

"Is it true that Soujirou will claim the throne in a month?"

"Yes."

"Yes? Yes?! How can you say that so calmly?"

"Because Aoshi has thirty-one days to find and marry a lovely young lady, which, in my opinion, is plenty of time."

"What are you talking about Jiya?"

Okina sighed.

"Misao, next time please learn _all_ the details before you come screaming at me," the old man chided, "Aoshi will only be forced to give up the throne if he is incapable of finding a wife within one month's time."

My shoulders relaxed and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"Oh…I see," I said stupidly.

"Don't worry my dear, I have a brilliant plan," said Okina smugly.

"Really?"

"Yes. We shall hold a ball."

"I fail to see how grasping a child's toy will solve our problem," I retorted.

"No, no, no," Jiya shook his head, "A ball is like an extravagant dance where everyone dresses up in fancy clothing and partakes in this wonderful thing called frivolity…It's a western custom," explained Okina.

I stared at my adoptive grandfather, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I still don't get it."

"My dear," said Jiya, "Of course, Aoshi must find a bride at this wonderful ball. Can't you just imagine it? Hundreds of beautiful, young girls just waiting to be---"

smack

"Ow…"

"Get your mind out of the gutter Jiya!"

"Yes, I'm sorry."

"Well, I have to be going now so good bye."

Before Okina could reply, I was out the door and running down the hallway back to my room.

Hurriedly, I rummaged through my drawers until I found the box Aoshi-sama had given me; it was a calligraphy set. I found a scroll and then set up my supplies on the floor next to my rolled up futon. Carefully, I began,

"_Dear Aoshi-sama,_

_My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I read that you liked me. I know how hard it would've been to say such things to my face, so I'm glad you decided to write to me. Strange isn't it how it's easier to write your feelings rather than express them in person. However, it pained me to find out that you must find a bride within the next month or else you will lose the throne. It pains me even more that your future is in the hands of that lecherous old geezer, Okina. But, he does have a plan that I think will work. Perhaps he will have already explained it to you by the time you receive this letter. I know you must be under a lot of stress so take it easy and know that you have my support and sympathy. I hope to see you soon…if my fellow concubines will allow it._

_Yours,_

_Misao"_

I rolled up the scroll, pleased with my work, and headed off to find Himura. I decided to try the training hall first, so I walked along the familiar path to my favorite place in the palace. But, as I walked, a horrid thought clawed its way into my mind.

_What if Aoshi-sama doesn't feel as strongly about me as I do him?_

The possibility seemed very real to me at the time, and it scared me. I had thought that maybe he would consider taking me as his wife, but then I realized how foolish that hope really was. I began to worry and doubt.

_What if he finds someone he likes better at the ball? Some prettier and more intelligent and graceful than I could ever be?_

What would I do if he left me? Would I become a ghost again? A wandering soul with no real purpose in life?

Thankfully, before my thoughts could get any uglier, someone called out my name; it was Himura.

"There you are Misao," he said sweetly, "I was looking for you everywhere. Do you have a letter for me?"

I nodded slightly and handed him the scroll in my hands. He took it gratefully and ran off saying a quick farewell.

After thinking some more ugly thoughts, I wondered when the dreadful ball was.

"It's in two weeks," said Okina, matter-of-factly, "The entire women's quarters will be there and every girl of high status too."

"That's a lot of girls…"

"Yes, I can't wait---"

smack

"Ow…"

Two weeks later:

I hadn't hard from Aoshi-sama at all in two long weeks. At first I had told myself that he was simply busy with the whole getting dethroned problem…but that only worked for about the first week. After that I fell into a deep depression. I had given up all hope, thinking Aoshi-sama had lost interest in me and was out looking for a beautiful queen.

Lazily, I lay in my futon, my normally braided hair splayed about me in a tangled mess. I hardly noticed when Kaoru stormed in and yanked the covers off of me.

"Get up," she yelled down at me.

I ignored her.

"Misao, look at yourself," she cried, "This isn't like you at all! The Misao I knew wouldn't give up so easily!"

Startling my best friend, I sat up suddenly and glared at her.

"He doesn't want anything to do with me!"

"You don't know that," she spoke softly now, "He's been very busy lately. I bet you anything he wanted to write you but he couldn't find the time."

I just shook my head stubbornly.

Then, Kaoru pulled a small scroll from her sleeve and placed it gently in my lap.

"Here, Himura told me to give it to you…I think you know who it's from."

Reluctantly, I opened the letter and read the elegant script:

_My Dear Misao,_

_I look forward to seeing you tonight at the ball._

_Yours,_

_Aoshi_

Tears rolled silently down my cheeks as I stared happily and the parchment. In all my life I never thought one single sentence could make me so joyful.

_Aoshi-sama doesn't hate me._

I looked up at Kaoru who was smiling brightly at me and I found myself smiling back, for the first time in two weeks. To my surprise, Kaoru revealed a cloth wrapped package she had been hiding behind her the whole time. She placed that too in my lap and gestured for me to open it. I did and all at once every breath in me escaped through my gaping mouth as a held up the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen.

It was western style with off the shoulder sleeves, a wide skirt, perfect for ballroom dancing, and a long elegant train of pure silk. The neck line was lower than anything I'd worn or ever seen worn before, but the color of the dress was the exact same royal purple as the kimono Aoshi had given me before.

I looked up at Kaoru with fresh tears in my eyes. She placed one of her hands on my should and squeezed it lightly.

"Come on, let's get you ready for the ball."

Kaoru was wearing a light yellow dress made from the same material as mine, but her dress had a tapered skirt and no sleeves at all. Of course, I wore the dress Aoshi-sama had given me. We met up with Himura at the pond in the quart yard by our room. It took him three minutes to get any words out of his mouth. There was quite a bit of stuttering before he was finally able to say,

"Y-you both look l-lovely."

He was wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie, in which he looked very uncomfortable.

"You don't look half bad yourself," Kaoru said as she nudged him playfully in the arm.

Himura turned crimson.

"Well, we'd better get going. The ballroom is all the way across the castle in one of the buildings the Emperor never uses. We'll have to take a carriage to get there."

We stepped out of the carriage, Himura went first so he could help Kaoru and me out. I looked up and the grand, marble staircase that lead into the extravagant building. It looked a lot like the main part of the castle where the Emperor's actual personal living quarters were located.

Nervously, I climbed the enormous flight and entered through the two equally enormous wooden doors. Himura lead us across the lobby to two more big wooden doors which were propped open, welcoming all guests. Like a gentleman, Himura held out his arm for Kaoru to take, which she did. Then, the two of them went inside with me trailing behind unsure of what I should do. I felt awkward without someone's arm to hang on to and I walked as slowly as possible, hoping Aoshi would rush out of nowhere and offer me his arm. But, he didn't, and when I reached the top of the staircase leading down into the ballroom I froze.

There before me stood a thousand people, all of whom were much more sophisticated and elegant than myself. At that moment, I felt as though I wanted to run away from it all, but then I saw him. Aoshi stood there surrounded by a group of smiling young girls, staring up at me. The girls soon stopped smiling and followed his gaze, as did everyone else in the room until, to my horror, the entire ballroom was gazing up at me, still as a statue at the top of the stairs.


End file.
